Life's Six Rules of Success

I have been pondering the direction in which I wanted to take this blog.  My main goal is to ensure that I don't run out of things to post while keeping things interesting.

Surprisingly, I am leaping out of my comfort zone with the hopes of creating something great.  The verdict is that I will be using this blog as a life journal for all to share.  I will share my goals and accomplishments.  Positive Motivation will be the purpose.


I am a very passionate person.  I believe this comes from the depths of my life story.  To say my life was and is a roller coaster ride would not exactly be true.  My life seems to have been a series of cliff dives followed by a long hike to the peak (sounds familiar).  Early on some of those cliff dive appeared to be bottomless pits, but by the grace of GOD and loving parents I landed as softly as could be expected.  Through out this journey I will share these stories where they fit.

I have a great love for motivational sayings and videos.  If you really listen to them, the messages speak to us all and can get you through the darkest of times.
If through my actions and writings I can motivate just one person to find their dream, get the motivation, drum up the courage to do what was never imagined, I have succeeded!

Once again I want to Thank You for your interest in my story.

LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!

6/8/13

Warm-up

20 walk lunges

10 push ups

10 sit ups

Samson stretch

Work Out of the Day (WOD)*

8 minute AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)

5x dumbbell snatch each arm (45#)

5x dumbbell thrusters each arm (45#)

10x Burpees

CORE

15x sit up with 25# plate / Russian twist each way every time 

60 second plank hold

EXTRA

10 degree incline

run 20 sec / rest 10 sec for 10 min @ 5mph

then

walk for 5 min @ 3.5mph

Determination Today Leads to Success Tomorrow

Though New Mexico was full of good times and outdoor adventures, the hiking trip was a major reality check.  In my first post I mentioned "I was not looking to change my lifestyle or my inner self; but change it was a coming."  

This change came into my life via my wonderful, beautiful partner and wife Ashley.  Since I am mentioning my wife, I want to thank and recognize her for supporting me in my venture and helping edit my blog.  

While in New Mexico Ashley called and said she wanted to give some "diet" a try.  At least that's what I heard.  Well as the typical fade dieter like so many people are I was willing to try anything.  

What I called a "diet", wasn't a diet at all, it was a jump start to a healthier life style.  Ashley and I started a program called the "24 Day Challenge" by a health and wellness company called Advocare.  In 24 days I lost 12 pounds with no workout program.  

Fast forward a year and some occasional product use, (mostly the mental focus drink called Spark).  

As with anything talk is cheap.  I finally was fed up with ME.  August 8, 2011 I made the decision to take a stand and get healthy.  I started back on a supplement routine with the Advocare products since we also made the decision to become advisors and build a successful business.  On this same day I walked into Crossfit New Orleans.  

At 300 pounds I was very much outside my comfort zone.  With hard work and dedication I lost 50 pounds in 8 months.  The most best part was I lost 10 inches off my waist too.

With life, as it often does, got hectic and things plateau for me.  

I am now back on track and will be sharing my workouts and results.  

Feel free to comment and share your own results.  I am also going to start posting my workouts for those interested.

August 2011

August 2011

December 2011

December 2011

Amazingly, these results jump started our Advocare business.

Lesson Two "The Park Service is Smarter Than Me."

After a good nights rest we load up.  We arrive at the Trail Head and read the Park Service signage at the start.  A quick review of the posted trail map. CHECK.  Geared up truck locked. CHECK.  Read over warning label signage posted by the Park Service. Check.  Heeded warnings.  OOPS!  Sign said "DO NOT START HIKE AFTER 12 NOON."  I check my watch,  "Lets Roll, its 11:45 a.m."

The Journey begins!

10 minutes in

Not much later, But I found a walking stick.



Alex: "Look at the snow."
Mark: "That's just white rocks"
Giovanni: "Lets bet. I'm with Alex"



We were RIGHT!!!

He was WRONG!!

THIS IS GREAT

This is what packing wrong looks like.

NO! We are not there yet!

Alex just broke the news to me 3 hours after we started.
Alex: "I got good news and bad news"
Giovanni: "Good news first"
Alex: "We are heading back down, bad news this isn't Wheeler Peak its Frasier"
Right after this picture was taken two older gentlemen came around that corner and had to step around me because I wasn't moving.

Mark: "Guys, I got bad news too. I ate All the M&Ms. 

Giovanni: "Yep, clean out of gummie bears.  We're screwed"

On the way down
Alex: "We need to do this again some other time"
Giovanni: " ARE YOU CRAZY?!"
We are now in the planning phase our comeback hike for JUNE 2014

Giovanni: "I'm coming,  Who's DUMB IDEA was this anyway!

I hope you have enjoyed the PREQUEL to the upcoming preparatory events and "THE REMATCH"

Lesson One "Too Much of a Good Thing is BAD!!"

Ok, where were we.  Oh the stroll up a "HILL".

After dinner we drove around to figure out where we needed to start in the morning.

Scouting out the evening before.
Yes, the one in the far background 

 After roaming allover the Taos area asking the locals for directions we located the Taos Ski Village.

Taos Ski Village at the Trail Head.

Like any great adventurers we made a trip to the local Wal-Mart to get supplies.  This was a very interesting trip to Wal-Mart.  I have lived in South Louisiana my whole life.  July is one of the hottest months of the year.  It took Mark and Alex the better half of our trip to convince me I need to buy a jacket because it would be chilly up there.

Now we need rations.  Alex logically grabs beef jerky, nuts and water.  Mark stocked up on trail-mix, M&Ms, and water.  I grabbed the essentials,  loaf of bread, sandwich meat, two bags of chips (to share of course), water, and the all important nutritious gummie bears x3 (not to share of course).  Another 20 minutes of "INTENSE FELLOWSHIPING" and we walked out of Wal-mart with beef jerky, nuts, M&Ms, three cases of water, chips, and the all important nutritious gummie bears x4 (one extra to share).

We get back to the hotel and start packing.  Of course I pack the biggest bag I had with me and successfully filled it up.  I smartly packed two flashlights, night vision goggles, camera, compass, water, chips, gummie bears, handgun, batteries for flash light x10, batteries for night vision x6, extra ammo x3 boxes (50 rounds each), a change of clothes, hotel toilet paper x2, hotel towel, and Wal-Mart bags to carryout trash.  In all about 60-70 lbs of stuff for a ONE DAY hike.  Keep in mind this was just my bag.

With all this gear packed I left no room for common logic. This comment will make more sense when you read tomorrow's post.

The Best Memories come from Bad Ideas!

"Today I want you to ask yourself a question.  WHY NOT YOU?  Why not you to do something for work that you love?  Why not you to have a healthy body?  Why not you to have healthy love? Why not you to be, have, or do anything you ever dreamed?!  We are so Quick to think others are deserving over ourselves.  The truth is that we are all deserving SO WHY NOT YOU?!"

                                                                                                                      -Jillian Michaels

The day I read this quote it was as Jillian was talking directly to me.  Now I hope to pass it to YOU.

Though I was unaware of it, this journey which I am inviting you on, started back in July 2010 in Taos, New Mexico at the trail head in the Carson National Forest, Trail 90.  At the same moment I was boldly and over confidently, which is a huge understatement, setting forth to conquer the highest peak in New Mexico (13,161 ft) an opportunity had found me.  I was not looking to change my lifestyle or my inner self; but change it was a coming.

       This is a photo of the WOLFPACK taken on the way down of the epic fail to get to Wheeler Peak.
                                                         (Mark, Giovanni, and Alex)

The above photo is the definition of the title of this post.  The Best Memories come from Bad Ideas!

It was 4th of July weekend and we were having a great 3 day weekend, which we went whitewater rafting on the upper Rio Grande River and did some site seeing in the Taos area.  One of the rafting tour guides told us about the scenic and awesome views on the trails to Wheeler Peak.  Well, as the great adventurers we thought we were decided over dinner that night we would tackle this "HILL" they call Wheeler Peak.  Boy were we wrong!
Stay Tuned, it gets worse!